Tons of Metal to Meters Converter
Convert tonnage of structural steel (beams, channels) into linear meters. Includes database of IPE, HEA, and W-Shape profiles.
About
Structural engineers and quantity surveyors often face the challenge of reconciling weight-based orders with length-based installation requirements. Steel mills sell by the ton, but fabricators build by the meter. This converter bridges that gap using standard section data.
The tool includes a pre-loaded library of European (IPE, HEA, HEB) and American (W-Shape) profiles. It utilizes the specific linear mass (kg/m) of each section to calculate exactly how many meters of beam are available in a given tonnage. This is critical for logistics planning (truck lengths) and fabrication nesting (minimizing scrap).
Formulas
The calculator divides the total input mass by the specific linear density of the selected profile.
Where:
- L is the total length in meters.
- Mass is the input weight converted to kg.
- G is the nominal weight of the profile in kg/m.
Reference Data
| Profile Name | Height (h) mm | Width (b) mm | Weight (kg/m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPE 80 | 80 | 46 | 6.0 |
| IPE 200 | 200 | 100 | 22.4 |
| HEA 100 | 96 | 100 | 16.7 |
| HEA 240 | 230 | 240 | 60.3 |
| HEB 140 | 140 | 140 | 33.7 |
| W8x10 (USA) | 200 | 100 | 15.0 |
| W12x26 (USA) | 310 | 165 | 38.7 |